Nominee reaction: Gary Oldman

Best actor, 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'

A gratified Gary Oldman was in Berlin doing publicity for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” when he was his manager rushed in and said “You’ve been nominated for an Oscar.” Oldman, who’s been starring in films since 1984, said “I’ve never heard those words before.”

With his first nom, the actor said it was “ironic and fitting to hear the news in Berlin, which was the mecca for spies” during the Cold War, the setting for “Tinker Tailor.” There has been talk of reuniting the “Tinker” team for John Le Carre’s second George Smiley novel, “Smiley’s People,” so the film’s box office and kudos could help get that project off the ground. Oldman said he’s happy to be “the face of Smiley for a new generation, and to walk in the shoes of Alec Guinness, who’s always been a hero of mine and an inspiration.” (Guinness played the role in the 1979 miniseries.)